1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a honeycomb structured body.
2. Discussion of the Background
Exhaust gas discharged from internal combustion engines of vehicles, such as buses and trucks, construction machinery, and the like contains particulate matter (hereinafter, also referred to as PM), such as soot, and other harmful substances. The harmfulness of such PM and harmful substances to the environment and the human body is becoming an issue. This issue leads to development of various porous-ceramic honeycomb structured bodies as diesel particulate filters (hereinafter, also simply referred to as DPF) capable of capturing PM in exhaust gas and purifying the exhaust gas.
An aggregated honeycomb structured body is proposed as one honeycomb structured body used as a DPF. Such an aggregated honeycomb structured body includes combination of multiple pillar-shaped honeycomb fired bodies each having many cells longitudinally disposed in parallel with each other. For the aggregated honeycomb structured body, each honeycomb fired body has adhesive layers on the side faces thereof. The honeycomb fired bodies are bonded to each other with the adhesive layers interposed therebetween, thereby providing a honeycomb structured body having a desired size.
JP 2000-7455 A discloses one exemplary method of combining honeycomb fired bodies in the procedure of manufacturing an aggregated honeycomb structured body. The method disclosed in JP 2000-7455 A includes joining honeycomb fired bodies using a support jig for supporting multiple honeycomb fired bodies with adhesive material paste being applied to the respective joint faces between the honeycomb fired bodies (ceramic structured bodies). The literature further discloses that in joining honeycomb fired bodies, a pressing force and vibration are applied to the honeycomb fired bodies supported with the adhesive material paste interposed therebetween so that the adhesive material paste is evenly spread between the honeycomb fired bodies.
WO 2008/140095 A1 discloses a method of manufacturing a honeycomb-segment-joint body including joining multiple honeycomb segments to each other. The method disclosed in WO 2008/140095 A1 includes pressing at least part of the placed honeycomb segment to be kept on a predetermined position so as not to allow the placed honeycomb segment to displace.
Specifically, the literature discloses pressing of a side face of the placed honeycomb segment (a face of the honeycomb segment where cells are not open).
Recently tightened regulations on exhaust gas increase a demand for large honeycomb structured bodies for large-sized vehicles such as trucks and large-sized construction machinery.